A Staffordshire garden centre is applying for planning permission to build workspaces for small businesses and start-ups on its site.
The team behind The Plant Plot, near Lichfield, want to knock down a series of greenhouses used for growing plants on an area of the site which currently does not have public access and create new homes for businesses instead.
The proposal includes a core building which could be used for a single occupier or multiple businesses, depending on the internal configuration. The planning application seeks approval for the floor area of 615 square metres, and not the internal layout of the building.
Facilities include a courtyard and WC and shower provision, along with a communal space which will be for the use of tenants only and will not function as a public café or coffee shop.
The plans would also see the creation of 14 extra car parking spaces, 20 new cycle spaces and two additional disabled bays, as well as a new pedestrian footway and crossing on Stafford Road.
The application states: “The commercial property will provide long-term benefits to the local area through direct employment opportunities. The flexibility of the commercial premises provides opportunities for a range of businesses to locate in modern office accommodation with existing infrastructure to support daytime operations – including access to the on-site café within the centre of the Plant Plot site.”
The Plant Plot already has a ‘garden village’ of more than 35 cabins which are available for small independent businesses to rent, as well as the garden centre and cafe
Daily Focus recently reported that a fine dining restaurant called The Potting Shed is set to open on The Plant Plot site in spring.
Daily Focus approached The Plant Pot for comment.
